Christmas slab fruitcake Recipe

Proudly supported by

Pieces of decorated cake can also be wrapped in cellophane and given as oh-so-pretty gifts! They're so delicious!

Ingredients

1.5 kg dried mixed fruit

½ cup dark rum, plus extra ¼ cup

2 tsp finely grated orange rind

¾ cup orange juice

375 g unsalted butter, chopped, room temperature

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

6 free-range eggs

2 ½ cups plain flour

3 tsp mixed spice

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp baking powder

To decorate

2 x 250 g packets ready-to-roll marzipan

2 Tbsp apricot jam, warmed, strained

600 g packet ready-to-roll white icing

rainbow sprinkles to decorate

Combine fruit, rum, rind and juice in a large bowl. Stand, covered, overnight.
Grease a medium roasting pan (23cm x 33cm x 6cm deep). Line base and sides with four layers of baking paper, extending paper 5cm above pan edges.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl of an electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Mixture may look curdled at this stage. Stir into fruit mixture.
Add combined sifted flour, spice, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix well. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top.
Cook in a slow oven (150C) for about 2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil during cooking if top starts to over-brown.
Remove from oven. Brush extra rum over hot cake. Cover with foil. Wrap cake in pan in a clean tea towel. Cool completely.
To decorate, invert cake onto a chopping board. Knead marzipan on a clean bench until smooth. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until large enough to cover top of cake
Brush half the jam over top of cake. Lift on marzipan. Smooth over top to push out any air bubbles trapped underneath. Trim edge.
Repeat process with remaining jam and fondant. Using Christmas cutters (about 5cm), mark fondant, without cutting all the way through as pictured. Press in cachous to decorate.
Using a large serrated knife, cut cake into portions.